Time For Some Great Topwater Bass Fishing Action

by Rex Chambers

The months of May and June are some of the best times for topwater action
in the South. Perhaps the most exhilarating moment of any angler is when a
topwater strike occurs. When the water hits the 70 degree mark, bass start
to get active on a topwater strike, and usually your best bet is early
morning or late evening. Big bass hit topwater in shallow water as well as
deep. Determining the depth heavily relies on where the baitfish are.
Common knowledge tells us that shad are the main forage of bass in southern
waters. Shad come toward the surface during bright sunlight hours searching
for plankton to feed on. This goes hand in hand with the food chain.
Plankton shallow, shad shallow, bass follow to feed. A light wind sometimes
gets the bass on a feeding frenzy on topwater, because of the shad
following the plankton with the direction of the breeze. When bass follow
these baitfish toward the top is when aggressive topwater action is the
best. Try and match your lure to the size of bait that these bass are
feeding on. Super Flukes, Zara Spooks, buzzbaits and Pop R's are among some
favorites for a daytime strike.
 

A topwater strike during the night is even more heartstopping than a
daytime strike. Fishing topwater at night usually requires a little slower
retrieve and a little patience on the hookset. Jitterbugs are deadly on big
bass at night, when fishing for surface bass. A slow methodical retrieve,
or a slow stop and go motion sometimes drives a huge bass crazy and makes
for a ferocious strike. Keep in mind that either during the day, and
especially at night on topwater, that you can't set the hook when you see
or hear the strike. Doing this will result in lots of lost fish. The
majority of the time when fishing surface plugs, you usually have the lure
on a tight line. When the strike happens, don't set the hook until you
feel the pressure of the fish. A quick hookset, especially at night, will
jerk the topwater bait away from the fish before he has a chance to get the
bait in his mouth. This is a hard habit to adapt to, but when practiced,
you'll see a huge difference in the strike to catch ratio. Remember to try
different retrieves and different hooksets when fishing topwater to find
what works for you the best. C-U-FISHN'

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